In case you haven’t been following the Mormon Poetry Slam at home and have an interest in Mormon poetry (I mean, who doesn’t, right?), here’s an update (which I initially posted here):
The final performance in the slam—which I’ve been hosting on FireinthePasture.org and which as far as I know is the first online competition of its kind—posted last Friday. (You can find the event archive here). Now it’s time to determine the winner of the Audience Choice Award and we need your help with that because, well, the participants need the audience to vote. So, if you would: Take several minutes to consider the slam performances, then vote for your favorite before Wednesday’s end (voting rules are outlined below). For your consideration and reviewing pleasure, here are the fourteen entries, listed in order of appearance:
[View the story “The 2013 #MormonPoetrySlam” on Storify]
Now that you’ve reviewed the entries, before you vote, here are the rules:
- 1) Voting will be available until midnight, Wednesday, December 13.
- 2) Anyone can vote and performers can garner votes however shamelessly they want to, but voters can vote only once.
- 3) The performance with the most votes when the poll closes next Wednesday will win the Audience Choice Award.
Ready?
Set?
Vote:
(If this table gives you trouble, vote on the flipside of this link.)
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A Motley Vision 
Hello! I’m a teen who was introduced to slam poetry last year. I fell in love with everything about it, the atmosphere, the people, the point. The problem was that I was Mormon, and I didn’t “belong” in the community of teen poets angry at the world, angry at God. I wasn’t really welcome there, and the more time I spent at slams, the more I didn’t belong at Church, with the reputation slam poetry had and my taking off at mutual activities to go to the events.
I guess what I’m say is for the longest time I thought I had to choose between my passion and my religion. I went looking to find Mormon Slam Poets, and I wasn’t expecting to find anything. But I did.
I just… wanted to say thank you for this website. For this organization and it’s participants. I’m so relieved to find other Mormon Slam Poets. It means so much to me that I don’t have to give up poetry to be a “good Mormon”. Thank you for your examples and representation of this community. It means so much that you guys are here!
That’s awesome, Amber. Part of the point of this blog is that you can be a “good Mormon” and be engaged in consuming and creating all types of culture. And that there are things about the broader culture and about “Mormon” culture (not the gospel itself but the culture that some Mormons surround it with) that are positive and awesome and things that are not as positive and even damaging. Sometimes it can be hard to figure out what to hold on to and what to reject, but in my experience, it’s always better to try to stay engaged with both living the Gospel and the cultural things you love rather than give up on one or the other.
So, yeah. There are Mormons who like slam poetry. And Mormons who like punk rock. And Mormons who like comics, etc. And a lot of them are still active in their ward and have callings and temple recommends and go on missions and all that.
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Come back, Amber. We’ve room for you.
Ditto Wm. and Th., Amber. You certainly don’t have to give up poetry to be a good Mormon. That would be tragic…
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Incidentally, AmberWriter, are you the same amberwriter I see sometimes on Tumblr?
(Also, it would be nice if a woman would comment on this thread before it gets creepy.)
hey, Amber. Poetry and the gospel go hand in hand. Read some verses of Isaiah aloud…slamming from the OT. Glad you came over 🙂
Amber: amen to my betters and their comments.
I published a thing a couple of years ago that grew out of a rumination on my experience with discipleship and poetry, and which I presented at an academic conference in the style of a poetry slam. If you like, I can send it to you. Reach me via gmail: jonathon.penny@.
And welcome to our growing and rather gifted club.
J
Amber, consider these poets: Isaiah; Nephi; Alma; John the Revelator; King David; King Solomon; Emma Smith; Eliza Snow; Gordon B. Hinckley; Bruce R. McConkie; Marion D. Hanks; and Christ himself.